These Four Walls: A CTFxC story
by MaiaRutledgeFan
Summary: A CTFxC story, because I can't find any! Alli Speed is studying in Spain when there is a bomb scare on campus- her fiance Charles Trippy travels to Spain to be with her, but dramatic events lie around the corner...
1. Chapter 1

_So this might not be the most well written of stories, but in the absence of any CTFxC fan fiction (minus the one Charles/Jeff story on here that has possibly scarred me for life) I had to do something!_

This takes place when Alli was still in Spain, but after Charles proposed to her. I know she left Spain not long after Charles did, but for the sake of the story, let's pretend she stayed in Spain a little longer, so Charles came out for another visi_t_

**_Chapter 1_**

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There was rain coming in the window. Allison Speed glanced up briefly, then judged it to be an insignificant amount of rain to warrant her getting up from her comfy spot on the couch. Spain had seen a lot of rain lately – making the trip from her dorm to class trickier than her normal mad dash. But there was a certain _smell _when it rained in Spain. It smelt like nature, like culture – like historic buildings that had seen hundreds of years of rain in their time. Alli loved it when it rained.

Entering her username into her laptop, she romanticised briefly about how quickly she would change all her usernames when her and Charles were finally married. Allison Trippy. Alli Trippy. Charles & Alli Trippy. She loved the sound of it. As she began sending her video files through to Charles for the vlog, she began to mentally count down the days until he would arrive in Spain, and they would move into the own place for a while. At her count, it was 2 days, 2 nights till she would see her man again. It had been almost 2 months, and yet 2 days still felt like the most enormous stretch of time she would ever encounter.

Yawning, she checked to see if the laptop was plugged in, then left the files transferring as she headed to bed. Inwardly groaning as she remembered how early her first lecture was tomorrow, she flopped on the bed and curled up, listening to the rain still falling outside.

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The steam from her coffee mixed with the rain and formed an odd steam cloud above her takeaway cup. Alli clutched it tightly, warming her hands as she made the short trip across campus to her class. She wasn't late, but there wasn't any cover, and too long in the rain was likely to do unkind things to her hair, which had a tendency to form a mind of its own in this weather. Finally making it to class, she settled her coffee on the desk and began to sort out her notes. They were 2 days away from an important exam, one that Alli was hoped would improve her current A- she was getting in the class. Students began trickling in, and she couldn't help notice the louder than usual buzz that surrounded them. Tally, a girl she knew from several of her language classes, sat down beside her and immediately began speaking very fast, something about protests and riots and bomb threats. Ally blinked rapidly.

'Sorry, Tally…what? I have no idea what you're talking about.'

Tally pulled a copy of the student newspaper out from her tote bag. 'Didn't you watch the news last night? The protests are getting closer to us, and apparently there was even a bomb scare on the land that borders campus!.' Tally did not exactly look suitably grim for someone who had learnt of a bomb scare on their own campus, and Alli took the paper from her with a slightly amused expression.

Scanning the article, she learnt little that she didn't already know. Workers from the manufacturing plant on the land next door to the college campus were protesting against their work conditions and cuts to their pay. Although new to her was that, as the protests gained in their intensity they were becoming downright riots, and someone had even phoned in a bomb scare late yesterday afternoon, although it had turned out to be a hoax.

As the Professor walked into the room and greeted the students, Alli quickly folded the paper and passed it back to Tally. She had other things on her mind than angry union workers. Such as how much she missed her fiancé.

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Alli had only just noticed that the sun was beginning to come out, when the crackle came over the loudspeaker.

'_Attention university residents. There has been a safety breach on campus grounds. We require all students and faculty members to evacuate the campus grounds as quickly but as orderly as possible. Please meet at the designated evacuation spot by the High School football grounds. This is not a drill.'_

There was a beat of silence, and Alli waited for panic to ensue. But nothing came. The students began to quietly pack up their belongings and file out into the corridor, where they met other nervous, but quiet students. The quiet almost made it worse. It was like the panic was a feeling, something hanging in the air rather than a noise. It wasn't until Alli and her classmates made it outside and began walking towards the High School that word began to get around. Bomb. Bomb threat. There was a bomb outside the cafeteria. No, it was in the gymnasium locker rooms. No, over by the caretaker's residence.

As they got closer to the High School, Alli began to notice the noise. Sirens racing from several directions. Then suddenly a helicopter appeared in the sky above the campus, and was soon joined by another, something that looked like it was from a news channel. Suddenly the noise of the crowd began to get a lot louder, and Alli's heart began to race. It was a little too close to home now.

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The first thing Charles did when he woke up was make a coffee. Then sit down at his computer. Marley and Zoe lounged nearby as he waited for the login screen. He checked his phone to see if it was too early to Facetime Alli – they were a few hours ahead in Spain, so she'd probably be in class right now. He sent her a quick text to say good morning, then logged in an opened up his browser.

Yahoo was not going to break it easy to him this morning. Right there on the homepage, next to a picture of the university Alli was attending in Spain was the headline _**'Students flee campus after bomb discovered.'**_

Shaking, Charles picked up his phone and checked to see if Alli had replied. Nothing. He hit call and waited. The phone rang. And rang. Then her voicemail clicked over and he hung up, frustrated. Staring at the photo of his Alli, smiling at him from his home screen, he felt panic rising. He couldn't think straight. Who could he call? What was going on? He saw images in his mind of students fleeing in a panicked mob, his fiancé being dragged along with the crowd. He rubbed his hands over his eyes, trying to get rid of the images, trying to clear his mind, but instead saw nothing but an almost comicaly cartoonish image of a bomb, sitting outside the university's main entrance. He picked up the phone, dialled again. He was practically hyperventilating. 'C'mon Al, pick up. Please pick up. C'mon baby, pick up. Please, please pick up.'

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The noise of the crowd was now deafening, as they gathered on the local high school's football field. Failing to hear the ring of her phone in her backpack, Alli craned her neck for some sort of authority figure, someone that knew what the hell was going in. Suddenly, though a megaphone, came a voice.

'_Attention students and staff. There has been a bomb discovered on campus grounds. While we believe it to be in relation to the current riots, we have no confirmed information at this time. The university will remain closed tomorrow as an investigation is undertaken, however at this stage will reopen for classes by Wednesday, unless you are otherwise notified. The dormitory residences have been cleared and are safe to return to. For those who take public transport from the Lincoln Street stop, please use an alternative stop today. You are free to go.'_

And that was it. Alli watched as the students around her exchanged confused, concerned glances, then simultaneously began hurrying from the site. Alli tried to think what time it was in Florida. It was still early, and she didn't want to wake Charles, but… she really wanted to hear his voice right not. She glanced in the direction of the dorms, which seemed far to close to the hovering helicopters for her liking. As she made the decision to wander around the streets for a little bit, making hang about a café for a while to avoid going back to her dorm, she heard the familiar trill of her iphone. Hurrying to pull it from her backpack, she was almost overwhelmed by the relief she felt as she saw Charles' name on the screen.

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The phone had rung several times already, and Charles knew he only had about 2 more rings before her voicemail clicked in again. _Please, please pick up _he willed her.

'Char?'

The moment he heard her voice, the lump dropped from his throat – right to his heart.

'Alli? Honey? Are you… are you okay? What's going on over there? I saw on the internet…' he trailed off, hearing a long, shaky sigh from the other end of the line.

'Baby, we had a… I don't even know . A bomb scare? Only I think it was an actual bomb this time.' Her voice went up unnaturally at the end of her sentence, which Charles knew she was fighting back tears.

'My god… I thought Spain was supposed to be safe!' He paused. 'I'm going to get an earlier flight.' As soon as he said it, he realised his flight was tonight anyway – there probably wasn't an earlier one.

'Char- that'll cost you a bomb. I'm fine, really… just a bit of shock.' She let out a breath. 'Its good to hear your voice.'

'Are you back at your dorm?' With all his might Charles wished that Spain wasn't so damn far away. It didn't matter how badly he wanted to be there with her _right now _– modern technology was just going to make him wait.

'They only just released us – I'm gonna head there in a little bit.' She hesitated. 'Babe, my battery's almost out. I'll charge it as soon as I get back to the dorm… might even get some Spanish 'policia' footage for the vlogs. Call me though, before you get on the plane okay?'

'Of course, babe. I love you… please be careful, okay? Don't worry about the vlogs – just stay safe – preferably indoors!'

She laughed at his cheeky tone, and he knew she was probably fishing for her camera at this very moment regardless.

'I love you, too. I'll talk to you soon, okay? Bye baby.'

'Bye honey.'

He hung up, and went straight to his room to finish packing, as if the sooner he was ready, the sooner the flight would leave. With one hand going through the hangers in his closet, he used the other to hold the phone to his ear as he dialled Mr. and Mrs. Speed

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Things might just be going to get a lot worse for these two before they get better! Stay tuned :D


	2. Chapter 2

_Thankyou to_ **qpritchie1** _for the lovely review – don't ever be sorry for enthusiasm! As long as I know there are others out there like me that mourn the lack of CTFxC fanfiction, then I shall keep writing… even if there's only a few of us!_

**_Chapter 2_**

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Charles was used to getting funny looks when he vlogged. In fact, he barely even registered their glances anymore. But as he sat in the airport, waiting for his connecting flight, he realised that talking about a bomb threat into a camera in the middle of an airport probably wasn't the _brightest _idea. He quickly wrapped up what he was saying, hoping he wasn't going to cause their viewers too much concern. But both him and Alli had the same understanding about their vlogs – for the most part, if something happened in their life, they vlogged it, because this was what they were all about. And he knew many viewers had probably seen the news footage, and would be wondering what was going on.

Leaning back against the stiff chair, he put his headphones back on and gazed around the flight lounge. He wondered about the other passengers. Where they were going. Were they going home? Leaving home? To visit or to stay? He watched a couple across the room leaning against each other as they watched something on their laptop, and his heart ached. He wondered if any of his fellow passengers were as desperate to get to Madrid as he was.

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It was only 7pm, and already Alli was exhausted. The one day she could legitimately sleep in and she couldn't do it. She'd tossed and turned all night, wishing the rain would fall again to lull her to sleep. Yet when her usual 7am alarm went, which she'd forgotten to turn off, she was instantly wide awake. She'd pottered around the student residences all day like a zombie, conscious of the fact she needed to film something, but reluctant to talk to anyone, to do anything significant. She just wanted this day to be over so that she could go to sleep, knowing that when she awoke Charles would only be a few hours away.

She heard a commotion in the hall, and instinctively reached for her camera before she opened the door. A group of students stumbled down the corridor, clutching each other laughing, as they drunkenly made their way down the hall. She shut the door again, wondering how many other students had had the same idea about how to spend their day off. She figured her classes just might be a little emptier than usual tomorrow.

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There's a magic moment that happens sometimes on a flight, when you fly out of the night time and into the sunrise, and for a second it seems like you're in another world. Charles always thought of Alli when it happened, because she loved the sunrise. She always said that if you ever felt like you were loosing hope, you just had to look at a sunrise to realise just how much hope each new day held. He smiled to himself. If she knew what he was thinking right now, she'd probably gently mock him for being such a sap- even though she'd be secretly pleased.

This morning, as the plane neared Spanish airspace and he watched the transition from night into day outside his window, he felt the hope she was always talking about. But he also felt another, wormy little dark feeling that he couldn't put his finger on. But it made him uneasy.

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The clock on the wall had been moving slower and slower since she'd woken up that morning. She'd gone to bed early, just after it got dark, in the hope it would make the night go faster. But now the hours until she could leave to pick Char up from the airport were dragging, and along with her longing to see him, there was another feeling that had bugged her all day. Almost an urgency to see him, an anxious, shiver-down-your-spine kind of a feeling which she didn't like. She'd been on edge all day, and it took everything she had to concentrate on the test in front of her.

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He felt her before he saw her.

They had landed early, and so Charles found himself sitting not too far from the arrivals main door, perched by his bag like a lost puppy. His phone was dying, and he didn't want to waste power on playing games or music in case he missed something from Alli.

But she was walking towards him now, he knew before he even looked up. She hadn't spotted him yet, slipping between crowds of people as she looked up at the arrivals boards.

'Alli!'

She heard him straight away and they locked eyes. She grinned before darting through a gap in the crowd, and a moment later found her wrapped safely in his arms, her face buried in the collar of his trusty old leather jacket.

'I missed you.' She whispered into his neck.

He pulled back to kiss her, then let her head fall against his shoulder once more.

'I missed you too, honey.'

They stood there for a few moments, just appreciating being in each other's company once again. Charles fished for his camera in his pocket, before facing it towards the two of them as he hit record.

'Look who I found!'

He looked down at his fiancé and kissed her forehead.

Alli pointed up at him and spoke to the camera 'he's right here guys!'

Charles grinned, adding 'and now we're going to call it a day' before switching the camera off, and taking Alli's hand, the two wandered out into the crisp Spanish air.

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After a day spent lazily wandering the streets near campus, they finished the evening at Alli's favourite Irish pub, joking with the staff and drinking Irish beer. They pulled the camera out at various intervals, feeling like the vlogs were finally starting to gain a little of the old ctfxc feel back.

Later that night, Charles sat in bed editing whilst Alli slept beside him. That little bit of alcohol had done the trick and she'd nodded off almost instantly.

All of a sudden there came a whimper beside him, and Alli shot up, breathing hard, and promptly burst into tears.

'Honey?'

He was beside her in seconds, arm around her shoulders, but she didn't see, to register his presence.

'Al? Hey, its okay, you're okay. Alli?'

He stroked her back and eventually she lifted her head, bleary eyes looking up at him.

'Char?'

He looked down into her watery eyes, concern etched on his face. She sniffed and put her head on his chest.

'Oh, I just had the most horrible dream.' She tried to laugh to lighten the mood, but it came out more of a hiccup.

'We were in class, and there was something…someone…standing behind the door, we could see the shadow behind the glass – and then all of a sudden he was inside, and he… he was holding a gun.' She paused to sniff. 'Baby, I think I'm getting snot on you. I'm so gross, I'm sorry!.'

Charles lifted her chin to him, wiping her tears with his thumbs.

'Al, I've never seen you this upset over a dream before. This bomb scare thing has really gotten to you, huh.' He paused. 'Kinda scared the crap out of me, too.'

Alli let out a long, shaky breath. 'Well, it didn't end there. The thing… person… whatever it was, was yelling, just yelling at everyone, like a crazed maniac. I couldn't tell what it was on about. I was trying to listen, trying to understand what he was saying, and then….' She paused, and looked away.

'…and then he shot me.'

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Hmmm… paranoia? Or intuition…?


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3_**

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They were up early, at Alli's dorm to get the rest of her stuff moved into the long-stay apartment Charles had rented. Coffee in hand, they made their way towards campus for the second time that morning. Alli was in no hurry to get to class. She felt uneasy, that eerie feeling you get sometimes, when you dream something so vividly that you can't shake it, and the feelings it bought you linger even when you wake. She shivered, even wrapped as she was in her coat and scarf, and Charles put his arm around her, pulling her close. They sat on a bench near the lecture theatre, drinking their coffee and talking about Zoe & Marley back in Florida. Charles sat his Starbucks cup down by a pile of fallen Autumn leaves, and pulled out his phone.

'Look at me, Al - I'm so hipster right now.'

She laughed as he played around with Instagram for a few moments, before showing her the final product.

'Omigosh, Char, you're like…so hipster right now.'

He laughed at her exaggerated drawl, and went to upload it to twitter.

Alli sighed and leant in to give Charles a kiss.

'I betta go babe.'

'Alright.' He looked up at her. 'You're done with classes by 1, right?'

'Yeah, I'll meet after and we can grab lunch or something.'

He nodded, then swore as he dropped his phone on the ground as he stood up.

Alli chuckled, shaking her head, and gave him a final wave as she headed to class.

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She felt like a movie extra. There was a professor at the front of the class teaching, there were students in the desks, learning… everything _looked_ normal, but it sure didn't feel it. The professor didn't seem to be really making an effort to communicate his ideas, and the students – Alli included- didn't seem to be absorbing anything at all.

_Everyone's distracted._ Alli thought. When the wind changed, you could hear the protestors voices carried over from the Plant, and you were reminded of the drama going on just down the road. It was getting worse day by day- people were actually camping out, and there was police and army personal down there 24/7.

She was frustrated with herself. She loved this school, she loved learning. Why couldn't she just shake it off, focus, get on with the day? She couldn't afford to loose too much time on her studies. Exams were only getting closer. Mentally kicking herself, she made herself look away from the window.

She looked at the clock. 11am. 2 more hours to go.

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Charles was sitting at a café round the corner from the apartment, using the wifi to upload the vlog from yesterday. He was on his second coffee, and was trying to go really slow to avoid bringing on the shakes.

He gazed around the courtyard, people watching. There was a guy in the corner, under the umbrella, who from the back distinctly reminded him of…. Jeff Goldbum. He laughed to himself, reaching for his camera. Suddenly the guy turned around, and Charles realised there was an uncanny resemblance from the front to. He perched the camera discreetly on the table and hit record, filming the guy for a few seconds before turning the camera on himself.

'Oh hey guys, I'm just casually sitting in the same café as Jeff Goldblum… no big deal.' He laughed. 'Just kidding guys, it's not Jeff Goldblum. Sooo, Alli's in class and I'm just sitting here uploading the vee-log… only on my second coffee of the day… and I'm not twitching yet, so that's a good sign!'

He paused to readjust the camera.

'Sorry the vlogs have been a bit slow lately… Alli's had a lot of school stuff on, and I've just been trying to adjust to a new country, new timezone… but don't worry, we've got lots of fun things coming up here in Spain, and we'll be taking you on all our adventures!'

He turned the camera towards his laptop screen, the upload was still only at 8%.

'And sorry the vlog is late, guys… crappy internet is crappy.'

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The last hour had been kind to Alli. Her professor had given them the last half hour of class to work on their assignments, so she had headed to the library to get some books before it was time to meet Charles.

The library was quiet today – not that libraries aren't normally quiet anyway, but there was fewer students than usual amongst the shelves.

Alli had just noticed her classmate, Tally, further down the aisle and was making her way to her in order to ask her something about the assignment, when a faint scream sounded.

Alli stopped, and Tally looked up. Their eyes met for a second as they listened.

Then, came the sound of a gun shot.

Tally's eyes widened, and they both instinctively ducked to the floor.

The librarian's voice sounded.

'Everyone remain calm, stay where you are.'

Alli peered through the shelves and watched as a male student quickly ran to the main doors, locking them before hurring back to his hiding place under a computer desk.

Tally inched closer and whispered to her. 'What's going on?'

Alli shrugged her shoulders, fear apparent in her eyes.

Another gun shot sounded, and Alli winced. It seemed like the shots were getting closer.

She heard a loud gasp, and peered through the shelves. Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately wished she hadn't looked.

Standing outside the library doors, visible through the glass… was a man in mask.

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It was almost 1, and Charles was making his way towards campus to meet Alli. He sensed something was wrong before he saw it, and immediately his heart picked up pace. There was a police blockade on the road leading to the main entrance to the campus.

Several people were milling around, concerned looks on their faces. But nothing seemed to be happening.

Charles decided to keep walking as if they weren't there. He didn't get far before a policeman stopped him, and said something in Spanish. Charles looked at him innocently and shrugged his shoulders. 'I don't speak Spanish.'

Nonplussed, the policeman repeated himself. 'I'm sorry, sir, but I cannot allow you past this point.' His accent was heavy, but Charles got the point.

'Why? What's going on?'

The policeman paused. 'There have been reports…. of gunshots coming from inside the campus.'

Charles felt his heart drop. 'What?' He asked weakly.

A male around Charles age came up to him. 'That's all I could get out of him.' He said in a thick British accent. 'My sisters in there and they won't let me past…said the whole campus is blocked off.'

Charles rubbed his face in his hand, feeling sick.

'My fiancé's in there…oh my god.'

He suddenly thought of his phone, and whipped it out. _I'm outside…can't get in. U ok!_ He sent the text and found himself desperately hoping, for the second time this week, that Alli would answer.

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Imagine a black screen and the words_ to be continued... _aka anoying cliffhanger on a tv show :D


	4. Chapter 4

So I come from a country a little bit behind as far as We The Kings is concerned – last week was the first time I had ever heard them played on the radio here! Anyway, today I went to post a package to Charles and Alli… and right as I pulled into the post office, 'Say You Like Me' came on the radio. It was very 'trippy!' ;-)

_**Chapter 4**_

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It was so quiet in the library, the normally inaudible sound of Alli's iPhone vibrating was painfully loud, and she immediately covered her pocket with her hand to silence it. Everyone's eyes were glued to the doors, as the masked man continued to move about outside. Without averting her eyes, Alli slowly removed her phone from her pocket

The message was from Charles. He was nearby and knew something was up.

Alli closed her eyes. _Please, please don't let him be on campus. Please let him be safe s_he silently willed.

Trying to stay as still as she could, she carefully typed a short message.

_We heard shots. Locked in the library. Please know that you will always mean the world to me. I love you so, so much. Stay safe._

And then her heart stopped. The masked man outside was gone. 10, 20 seconds went by, and nobody moved. Nobody breathed. She wanted to cry out in fear, but she crept closer to Tally instead, and they grabbed hands. Suddenly the door handle began to move, and then a voice came.

'Help, please help me! He's going to be back any minute. Please, please let me in. Don't leave me out here!'

The librarian looked out from behind her desk. Nobody moved towards the door. She looked around, as if for confirmation. Nobody offered any. Alli stood up, unable to stand the thought of leaving a fellow student outside whilst a gunman was wandering campus.

She started towards the door, but the librarian spotted her and motioned for her to wait, before making her way to the door and turning the handle.

A small, wiry male slipped in the door and the librarian locked it behind him. He slid to the floor, back resting against the door, and dropped his head to his hands in relief.

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Charles didn't have long to wait. It was only a few minutes before his phone chimed, and he looked down at it, grasped tightly in his hand. He didn't know what to make of the message – all he felt was helplessness. In fact, he felt downright sick.

Was she safe? Was she okay? Why was she talking like this might be the last time she would see him?

Frustrated, he went to text her again. As he typed, he had a sudden brainwave. He glanced at the cop who had talked to him. He was standing casually against his patrol car, and Charles felt a surge of rage. His fiance was inside that building, along with countless other students. Why wasn't anyone doing anything?

He marched up to the cop. 'Excuse me… but what's happening? Why hasn't anyone gone in to see what's happened? What if there are people injured in there!'

The cop turned to face him.

'Sir, the building is on lockdown. We have officers patrolling the area – but until we can get confirmation of the situation, we cannot take action. '

Charles shook his head, incredulous. Maybe he'd watched too many movies, but surely this wasn't the _normal_ way to react to a shooting? Shouldn't there be patrol cars everywhere? Helicopters? News teams? Action heroes? What about…

Charles stopped suddenly.

The coffee cart shortcut.

This morning, on their way to Alli's lecture, Alli had pointed out a shortcut directly from the street; an alleyway that came out by the path which snaked behind the Coffee Cart… the one that parked outside the Library.

Maybe…

He shook his head, chiding himself. This wasn't a movie. He was no Tom Cruise. There was no way he could sneak onto campus, and find his way to the library without getting stopped by Police.

Then he thought about this morning. About how he'd wasted time with Alli taking pictures of his stupid coffee cup. How he should have kissed her again, given her a hug… told her he loved her. Told her she didn't just mean the world to him… she _was_ his world.

He stood up, and took off, giving one last backwards glance to the cop, who wasn't paying any attention to him. As he slipped around the corner towards the alleyway Alli had pointed out, he heard the faint, but unmistakable sound of a helicopter in the distance.

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Nothing had changed in the library, but people were growing restless. Why hadn't there been any more shots- had the gunman been caught? If so, why hadn't anyone come to tell them? Was the gunman still somewhere on campus, lying in wait for the first person that attempted to venture to safety?

Still no one was talking, but they were shifting uncomfortably, looking around as they took out their phones nervously.

They were all playing a waiting game.

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It was so ridiculously easy, Charles almost felt like it was some kind of a setup. He looked over his shoulder every few seconds, sure a gun wielding mad man would be behind him. But now he stood outside the corridor which led to the library. He took a deep breath, and reached for the door._ Just go. Open the door. Alli's in there. You're so close._

The minute he stepped into the corridor, he felt like his footsteps just might have been the loudest thing he had ever heard in his life. He thought he might vomit from fear. He was shaking, sweating. What the hell was he doing? This was so unlike him. But Alli was in the library, and he would have done anything, _anything _to be with her.

With great relief, he spotted the library doors, and he placed his hand on the handle. Locked.

_Well, duh _he chided himself.

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They had all heard the footsteps coming down the corridor, and everyone had immediately frozen. Was this it? Was their time up? If that was the shooter outside… would a flimsy lock really keep them all safe?

Then the owner of the footsteps knocked, and everyone visually relaxed. That was not the sinister knock of someone on a murderous rampage, but rather the tentative knock one might expect of a pizza boy unsure if he has the right address.

_This is a lockdown! Who the hell knocks! _Alli thought, and then she realised. Maybe it was someone come to tell them that they had the all clear, than the danger was over.

_I'll be with Charles soon_, she thought, and it was all she could do to contain her relief, relief that she would see her fiancé again – kiss him, hug him… marry him.

She was so intent on her thoughts of Charles, that when she saw his face at the window, she initially thought she was hallucinating.

But the thought quickly vanished, replaced with the most desperate, cold fear she had ever experienced. The man she loved with all her being was standing outside in the corridor, with a gunman still on the loose.

She almost cried out, but Tally slapped her hand over her mouth.

'Wait.' She hissed. 'What if it's a trap?'

Alli shook herself free and looked incredulously at Tally. _What?_ She mouthed.

'Alli!'

Alli looked backed to the door. He hadn't seen her, but was now rattling the door handle and calling her name, and if the shooter was anywhere nearby…

'Alli! Are you in there?'

Alli was up and towards the door within a heartbeat. She was only a few metres away when the lanky male they had let in before held up his hand for her to stop, and turned towards the door to open it himself. Charles slipped into the room, and immediately locked eyes with his fiancé, relief washing over his face.

He moved towards her, desperate to hold her, but froze mid step as he heard Alli gasp, and saw the blood drain from her face.

He followed her line of sight, and looked over his shoulder.

Behind him, the young man who had let him in, was now holding a gun directly at his head.

'Well well well.' The voice that came had a clear spanish accent, and was icy, but deep, betraying the man's mousy exterior.

'Isn't this sweet?'

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	5. Chapter 5

**_Chapter 5_**

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The librarian saw it all unfold. The young man, desperate to be with his fiancé. The man she had let in… the man she thought was a victim…. wielding a gun at their heads. She felt sheer, icy dread wash over her as she realised she might have just signed all their death sentences.

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Charles heard Alli whimper behind him, and he wanted to turn and comfort her, but he dared not move from the spot he was glued to. Plus, he was positioned perfectly between Alli and the shooter, should anything happen.

He held up his hands in mock surrender.

'Woah, dude, I just… I just came in to be with my fiancé. I'm not with the police, or anything… I don't want to get into anything.'

He heard his words as he said them, and mentally face palmed.

'Well, considering I'm the one holding the gun, that's probably wise.' The gunman sneered. 'So you were outside this joint then… what's the situation like outside. Cops? Helicopters?' He laughed, almost to himself. 'Bet they've got every TV station on the country outside these doors right now.'

'Oh, nah, it's pretty quiet out there.' Once again, Charles wished he would think before he spoke.

The man narrowed his eyes.

'Well then. I guess I haven't made enough of a scene.' He took a step towards Charles, raising the gun towards him once more.

'We can fix that.'

'No!'

He heard Alli cry out behind him, and he put a hand out to stop her moving. But she was already at his side, clutching his sweatshirt desperately. He pulled her behind him roughly.

The man rolled his eyes. 'Oh come _off_ it, lady. When I want to shoot you, I will.' He moved to the librarian's desk and sat on it. He gave Charles an exasperated look, and motioned to him.

'Well, sit down already!'

Charles grabbed Alli by her arm and guided her over to a set of shelves. He sat down, pulling her with him, and she fell into his arms as they rested back against the shelves.

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He could feel her trembling against him, but only a few minutes had passed (though it seemed like hours) since he had been staring into that gun, and no one had been brave enough to make a sound louder than breathing yet.

He looked down at the woman in his arms, her usually lively eyes staring blankly at the carpet as her head rested against his shoulder. He very rarely saw true fear in her (if truth be told, she was the one that undertook all the spider and roach removals in their house), and it pained him to see her so terrified. Relieved that he had made it to her, that he could protect her, he leant to kiss her forehead.

'You okay?' He whispered almost inaudibly into her ear.

Alli looked up at him, and her voice trembled as she spoke. 'I'm so _mad_ at you' she hissed through barely open lips.

'What?' Charles mouthed, confused.

'You were _safe_, godammit! That was the one thing that gave me comfort, that you were away from here, safe, and when I got out of here I would see you again.'

Her whisper rose in volume, and Charles tried to motion for her to keep it down.

'C'mon, Honey. I…'

Alli shook her head. 'You don't get it! You're in danger, and I'm _scared ._I'm so freakin' scared of losing you, Char… her whisper dissolved into a sob, and Charles pulled her close, holding her tight in the hope of making her feel just a little safer.

'But don't you get it baby? That's exactly how I feel! I couldn't stand being out there, knowing you were in here, in danger. If something happened… I couldn't live with myself, knowing I wasn't there for you, protecting you… you're_ everything_ to me, Al.'

Alli reached up, holding the side of his face against hers. 'I know, I'm sorry. I'm just so, so scared.'

Charles leant down to kiss her again.

'It will be okay, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you.'

_That's what I'm afraid of. _Alli thought to herself silently.

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Across the room, Steven Wilcox was getting agitated. Severely hung over from the night before, he had only come into the library briefly to pick up a book, and was now stuck in this nightmare. Yet nothing was happened, and quite frankly this man didn't scare him all that much. He was all talk.

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Charles looked up as a male student got to his feet all of a sudden and started making his way to the doors.

'Hey man… what are you doing…' Charles asked in a low voice.

The student looked across at him. 'This is bulls**t.'

The gunman raised his gun somewhat lazily towards the student. 'Seriously? Sit down.'

The student kept walking towards the door, and the gunman stood up, his gun pointed directly towards him now. 'Sit. Down.'

The student made no move to stop, and then suddenly a gun was going off, and Charles was throwing himself on top of Alli, pinning her to the ground underneath him.

And then came the screams.

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'


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

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Her first thought was that he was dead. There was a shot…then screams… and the dead weight of her fiancés body on top of her.

'Charles?' She whispered. There was no response, and she hit full on panic mode, her breath coming in short bursts as she scrambled to get out from underneath him.

'Charles? Charles! Omigod, no, please god no. Charles! '

'Alli. _Al. _Hey, calm down, it's okay.'

Alli sucked in a breath as Charles rolled to his knees and sat up, and she swatted him on the shoulder before accepting his embrace. 'You scared the _shit _out of me' she mumbled into his shirt. She felt him tighten his arms around her, conscious that things were still going seriously wrong around them.

They both looked over to where Steven had been standing moments before.

His body now lay on the mottled green carpet, blood pooling under his chest.

'Oh…my god' Alli whispered, terrified, and Charles gently turned her head away with his hand. She heard the voice of the shooter, his mocking tone informing them that if they thought he wasn't serious before… they sure as hell better realise it now.

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Charles wasn't sure, but he thought Steven might still be alive. He tried to concentrate hard on the man's chest, looking for any sign of a rise and fall. It was faint, but he was sure it was there. No one else in the library was doing anything about it. The librarian was still huddled behind her desk, Tally still crouched by the shelves, and the handful of Asian students who had been working together still sat under their table.

He rubbed Alli's arm and leant down to kiss her temple. 'I'm just gonna go see if he's breathing.'

Alli clutched at his arm, terror apparent in her eyes. 'What? Charles, no. Please. Just stay here okay.'

He shook his head. 'Someone has to go see if he's alive…if we can stop the bleeding….' He trailed off, looking Alli in the eye as she shook her head pleadingly at him.

'Baby, it'll be okay. Someone has to do something. What if he dies right in front of us, because no one helps him?'

Alli clutched tighter. 'But it doesn't have to be _you_ Charles. Please. Please don't leave me.'

Charles leant down to kiss her forehead. 'I'm not gonna leave you, I promise. I'll be right over there. I won't let anything happen to you.'

Alli's next plea didn't leave her lips as the shooter glanced over to them. 'Oi, you two. Is there a problem?'

Charles stood up slowly, arms raised. Alli trembled beside him.

'Sir, I just want to check that he's okay.'

The shooter snorted. 'Sir? That's a first.'

Charles began to inch towards Steven, with slow deliberate steps.

'Hey, did I say you could move? He's dead, and you better leave him to it or you'll be next.'

Charles crouched over Steven, trying to find a pulse.

Suddenly he heard footsteps beside him, and the cool metal of gun barrel brushed his temple.

'Back. Off.'

Charles turned to see Alli staring straight at him in fear. 'Charles, just….please, for godssake do what he says.'

'Yes, Charles.' The man sneered. 'Just like the lady said. Do what I say.'

Charles took a deep breath. 'Look – he's breathing. Can't you just…let him go? Let someone come and take him out of here? You know, when this is over - you'll end up better off when this is over if no one actually dies.'

The man cocked his head eerily, looking Charles straight in the eye.

'What makes you think that I plan on walking out of here alive?'

Charles inhaled sharply, realising just how desperate and psychotic the guy really was.

'Enough.' The shooter straightened up, and Charles was briefly relieved as the gun was removed from his head.

And then his world fell apart.

'If I can't make you back off… then this will.'

The shooter pointed his gun and shot it – straight at Alli.

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Thank you to everyone who has stopped by to drop off a review, its great to know there are others out there who were looking for a CTFxC story! :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

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It was as if nobody moved – and then everybody did. Eyes locked on his fiancé, Charles was across the room, scrambling, almost tripping over himself in his haste to get to her. The librarian stood with her hand over her mouth, watching from a distance as the shooter lowered his gun slowly, and casually walked over to an empty chair.

'Nobody _ever_ listens. Lesson learned, everyone?'

Charles fell beside Alli as the blood began to seep through her shirt. She gazed in stone cold shock at her abdomen, then looked up at Charles fearfully. He pressed his lips to her forehead then gently lifted her shirt to reveal the gaping wound.

'It's going to be okay baby. Just stay with me. Stay awake.'

She didn't answer, and he grabbed her chin with his hand, looking directly at her 'Alli? Promise.'

She nodded, and he stripped off jacket, before tearing the bottom off his t-shirt to wrap around Alli's slight waist. Placing both his hands over the wound, he looked to the shooter.

'What do you want, huh? What did she ever do to you? What the hell are you hoping to achieve by all this?'

The man sighed an exaggerated sigh.

'You people mean nothing to me. You're just pawns in my chess game.' He gazed out the window in the direction of the manufacturing plant.

'You think your fancy little degrees are gonna get you anywhere? Think an expensive piece of paper's gonna save your butt when it counts? Cause I'm telling you now, it aint.'

He paused, still looking out to the plant.

'I want the plant to pay. I want the world to know what went on there, what we put up with, what we're facing now they've dismissed us; no dismissal pay, no anything…some of us have _families.'_

'Families?' Charles felt Alli's hand curl around his wrist where it pushed against her wound, seeking comfort. He looked over to the shooter. 'You wanna talk about families? We all have families! Everyone in this room has families that are now suffering because of you. You just shot my fiancé! For what?'

The shooter took a couple of steps closer to Charles, and he moved his body closer to Alli protectively.

The shooter sneered. 'You dirty freaking Americans think you can just waltz in here, have yourself a nice little holiday while you go to school. You ever think what it's like for the rest of, the ones that stay behind? I busted my gut for four years, slept in my car to save enough money to get through my degree. And where did that piece of paper get me? A job with a tyrant boss who takes away your sick days and overtime at any hint of a complaint about our working conditions. A corporate body who could care less about the hundreds of families they've left without an income.'

Charles had turned back to Alli throughout this rant, hands tightly on her stomach, eyes desperately searching her face for any sign she was slipping away from him. But her eyes remained locked on his, big and fearful, and he leaned forward again to kiss her temple

'Look that sucks man, but it's got nothing to do with anyone in this room. We're all just trying to make our way, just like you.'

The man leant cockily against a shelf. 'That's where you're wrong. Half of the people in this room aren't even from here. You know what that makes this? An international issue, that's what. And you know what that achieves for me? A freaking international spotlight on a situation that the Spanish government would prefer to just sweep under the rug. Well not today. This is my show. Thanks for being a part of it.'

He paused, and Alli leant forward to rest her head against Charles, feeling her body begin to drift a little. She felt dizzy, eerie, like she was stuck in that brief moment between awake and asleep.

The man returned to his seat, and the buzz of helicopters could be heard overheard. The shooter grinned.

'The show must go on.'

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Sorry for the wait everyone! I know it was horrible of me, please forgive me!


	8. Chapter 8

_Authors note: A reviewer raised a good point about how CTFxC fanfiction can be a bit awkward as they are real people. I actually found the first few chapters awkward to write because of this, and it kind of felt a bit 'off' to be writing something so traumatic happening to them - as if I was wishing it upon them somehow! But I couldn't stand the thought of the only other CTFXC fanfic on here being so… not in the spirit of the CTFxC , so I had to do something! It is only intended as a bit of fun, nothing more :)_

**Chapter 8**

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Almost a minute passed where literally no one did anything but listen. Alli listened to the helicopters, hoping it meant help was on the way. Charles listened to Alli breathing, in constant fear that the next one wouldn't come. The shooter listened to the voices in his head, egging him on, fuelling his fire.

'Char?'

Charles looked down at the woman lying on the ground before him, her life blood seeping from the wound beneath his hands.

'It's okay, baby… don't talk. Just concentrate on breathing, keep breathing for me, okay? Promise'

But Alli couldn't mistake the urgency creeping into his voice, and she knew she was in trouble.

'Charles… listen to me. I need you to know… you are the most important thing in the world to me. You changed my life… and you change the lives of so many people, every day. I'm so thankful I got the opportunity to spend my life with you… don't ever forget what an amazing person you are, okay? '

Her voice broke, but she fought to get the last line out.

'I love you… I love you so much. I will always love you. Remember that, okay?'

Without taking his hands off her stomach, he leant down to kiss her, his tears mingling with hers, before burying his face in her hair.

'We're a team, baby' he muttered tearfully into her ear. '_We _change people's lives, together. So stay with me, okay? I need you. You're my world, my heart… my everything. There is no way I can carry on without you. There's so much left for us to do, together. I promise you will never, ever doubt how much I love you, I will tell you every day… if you just Stay. With. Me. '

Alli turned her head slightly, her lips brushing the stubble on his cheek.

'Shhhh, baby. It will be okay. I love you, whatever happens… it will be okay. You'll be okay.'

At that moment, the noise of the helicopters became deafening and there was the sound of urgent voices from outside. Charles lifted his head to see what the commotion was, and then turned to look at Alli. His heat fell as his eyes travelled from the faint, calm smile on her face… to her closed eyes.

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The shooter surveyed the scene around him as the noise of the helicopters grew. He listened, feeling smug as he imagined the colossal commotion going on outside these walls, the news coverage on tv screens in homes around the world. They would all know, they would know the pain he and his work mates felt when they couldn't feed their children, the pain of watching their wives look elsewhere for men who could provide and protect them, the pain of knowing there was no way out. This may be the end of the road for him, but he would be remembered for the story he told. His glance travelled to the library doors as voices became audible from the depths of the corridor.

Then came a noise that stood out above all others. The noise of a strangled cry from the man hunched over his injured fiancé. The cry of a man who's world had just crumbled before his eyes.

The shooter took a calm, knowing breath, content in his knowledge that someone else now knew the pain of helplessly watching the world around you dissolve into a million pieces, just like Humpty Dumpty… unable to be put back together again.

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Sorry it's short… I just wanted you all to know that the story is back online and will be brought to an end soon! I apologise to those of you who joined me at the start of this and I have left hanging… I have no excuse. I find I often return to the fanfiction world during the semester, mostly when things are due… ;)


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

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His screams were noiseless to him, but the volume and anguish they conveyed to the rest of the observers would haunt them for years to come.

He gripped her shoulder roughly, shaking her in his desperation.

'Open your eyes, baby. C'mon, come back to me. You don't get to do this. Not now. Not today!'

His voice rose in pitch and he pressed his forehead to hers, crushing her to him as he willed her to come back to him. He had the fleeting thought that he should be giving her CPR or something, but deep down he knew that it wouldn't do any good given her injury.

He punched the floor next to her in frustration and his cries echoed across the room. 'No, no, please god… please… oh god, no.' He buried his face in her hair again, lips to her temple.

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The room was so still, so quiet apart from the man in the corner. No one else moved, no one else breathed.

And then, all in less than a split second, came the faint sound of breaking glass and then, before anyone had the chance to react, someone fired a second shot and through the window it came, a small piece of gold holding all of their hopes for freedom.

There came a gasp from the direction of the shooter, and the librarian glanced over to see his face twisted in shock as he doubled over, weapon dropping from his hand. She watched as in that same moment, one of the quiet Asian students crawled out from under the table, meekly grabbed the weapon and returned to his shelter, a look of disbelief at his own bravery evident on his face.

The librarian looked over to the young couple, where the man had thrown his body on top of his fiancé when the glass first broke. She couldn't help but think that the ending was all too anticlimactic for such a terrifying intrusion into all of their lives, and then in the same second she banished that thought, reprimanding herself to be grateful they had all been saved. She looked back over to the young couple on the floor, not far from the other young man's body.

Well, most of them.

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Charles heard them before he saw them.

When the glass broke, it was impossible to tell if it was from friendly fire and his first instinct had been to protect Alli from any further pain. But then, as moments passed where nobody moved, and then the sound of a weapon dropping to the floor came, he began to understand the situation. And then he heard urgent, important sounding voices in the hall, and he knew that help was coming. But he felt to relief, for it had come too late for the woman he had tried so hard, yet failed to protect, and he was in no hurry to move, felt no urgency to ensure his own safety. No way was he going to leave her by herself. They would have to physically pry his bodyfrom her before he would move. He breathed in the scent of her hair and let out an involuntary sob.

Then he felt it, the faintest hint of a flutter against his cheekbone.

Heart in his throat, he slowly raised his head to see her eyes flutter, and then open, staring straight above them.

'Char?' she croaked, her voice barely a whisper.

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Alli couldn't quite place where she was at first, but then her eyes focused on the ceiling tiles above her .She recognised their dot pattern from the hours she had spent staring at them whilst attempting to study.

And then everything came back to her like a tidal wave, and her first thought was of her husband-to-be. Her eyes searched frantically for him as she called out, and he leaned over so she could see his face.

'Charles? What's wrong? Has anyone come for us?'

He gripped her hand and didn't say anything, just lowered his face to her chest before letting out a barely muffled sob, bringing his hand up to tangle it in her hair. She barely had time to register his distress before the pain came. Like nothing she had ever experienced, it tore down her side and spread through her abdomen, unrelenting. She reached for his hand and cried out, trying to resist the urge to pass out.

Charles brushed the hair from her face and stroked her cheek. 'Al! Alli, it's okay, look at me! You're going to be okay baby, we're going to get you help, okay? Just keep looking at me. Help's coming, okay, you just have to stay with me!'

She searched his face, noting the tears pooling in his eyes, and watched him glance up as a group of voices sounded by the door, and then got closer. She reached out with her other hand to rub his leg comfortingly. Help was coming, everything would be okay. As long as she was with her man, she felt safe, knew he would look after her and this would all be over soon. Content with this knowledge, she closed her eyes.

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